New to Forum and Crappie/Bass/Walleye/Catfish fishing

[Alaskageek]

Howdy all

Let me start by saying I just found this forum today.... and love it!!!! 

My story is long but basically I grew up in Alaska and have massive amounts of information on fishing for Salmon and Trout on the Kenai River and its tributaries in Alaska, but my knowledge on fishing these warm water fish is very limited.  I currently live in Greeley, CO but come over to see my father in Elkton Missouri (where he retired too from Alaska) quite often.  I am planning a trip for a week over the 4th of July and we are going to be camping at the Wheatland Park campground, as my father lives just up the road from there.  Most of my MO fishing has been in one of a few places..... Truman lake dam docks (its a favorite), Caplinger mills off the bridge , and trolling around at Sapps landing.  Before my fathers health declined, we did hit Pomme a few times, but never had much luck.  My methods of choice to this point has been either trolling flick a shads (different depths/sizes) and primarily using minnows on either a slip bobber or using what the old man calls a straight line, which is just a minnow on a hook with a small split shot (sorta like a jig).  I have tried using jigs a few times, but have yet to break the goose egg on that lure type.

So......I know that Pomme gets super crazy over the 4th as we were there last year and had a great time, but I didn't do any fishing.  This year, since we are camping right on the lake, will be staying for a week and will have the boats right there the whole time (no need to wait for hours in launch lines) I would like to try and do some fishing, and while the fishing is always awesome, would also like a good chance at doing some catching.  I figure fishing early morning, before the boat activity on the lake goes crazy, or in the evening, after it's died down a little is my best bet.  What I really don't know is..... where to go.  Pomme is huge. :-)  Below are two pictures.  The first is were we will be camping from July 1st -5th.  Come on by and have a cup of coffee, beer, or margarita and we can talk fishing!!  The second is roughly the area of Pomme that I have been exposed to, although limited, mostly trolling flick a shads by the dam and what I think they call Martin flats.  After reading this forum, it seems that right now the crappie are hanging around cover at about 10 - 15 feet down, in about 20 fow, so I guess I'm looking for some beds, stumps, trees and what not that would give me a chance to possible pick up a fish or two, but any advice would be most appreciated.  I'd also be interested in anchoring up somewhere and throwing out a line or two with a goldfish or shad for catfish, but have never tried this on Pomme.  Will be a frequent visitor to this forum as well as the one for Truman lake, both of which I am now following, as it helps ease the pain of waiting another 21 days before I can get my a$$ over there. 

Thanks for reading this and hope you had a great day on the water!!!!

Jim

[shockley32]

I hope you enjoy your stay and catch a boat load! 

You are camping in a great area to fish - you can troll for walleye in the Wheatland area or hit the brush piles or standing timber for crappie.  The crappie will be 8-20 feet deep in 10-30 feet of water.  I only use jigs, mostly blue or chart, sometimes pink or white.  Hopefully when it gets closer to time there will be some more detailed reports.

Brad

[Alaskageek]

Thanks Shockley

When I jig, which is not often, I've been using usually orange or orange/chartreuse. Will have to try those colors. As for trolling....should I look for deep cutoffs and troll the break lines?  Can't say I know very much about walleye as most of my time has been spent going after crappie and white bass, which my kids will actually eat.  Ohhh believe me....ill be checking here daily to see what's what as the days pass. Is the water still high?  It looked a few feet high when we were over in the beginning of May. Had some great fishing over in the Truman docks. Between 10 of us (only two over the age of 17) we caught over 100 fish with 30 keepers and two nice 3lb channel cats.  Was an awesome day!!

[MOPanfisher]

Well now Jim it looks like you are gonna be in my playground, if I can I will stop by and say hi.  Summer for me is tough, fish are here but I am too lazy, busy, sweat too easily, and certainly don't like the holiday weekend crowds enough to join them.   However I think I may have seen you and or your dad before.  Might have been 2 years ago, in the fall I think, Sapps landing area on Truman.  Alaska registered boat trolling for white bass.  Not too many AK registered boats around.  At the time they were trolling for whites we were tearing up nice crappie along that same stretch, working white jigs around the stumps.  Fall can be very very good on Pomme and Truman, and LOZ too.

[Ranger520vx]

  We are in the Still Water cove just west of Wheatland camp ground. Unfortunately I just had rotator cuff surgery yesterday so my fishing is over for a few months. But like Brad said you are in a good area you should be able to go out any morning or evening and catch white bass and if your into night fishing I can put you on some good places for bass. Crappie should still be good. When you get down here we can get together after the holiday weekend is over and I will help you out as much as I can.

[Alaskageek]

Good Morning and thanks for the responses. 

MOPanfisher

     Yeah.... that very well could have been us, or at least my dad and one of his fishing buddies.  We killed the white bass hard at Sapps in the fall three years ago, one of my first trips to MO,  so it became one of our go to spots.  Can imagine there aren't too many AK registered boats fishing around there.  I was thinking that once I started posting, somebody might have seen us.  I've never fished for crappie outta Sapps..... but it does look like some crappie catching water to me!  The fall fishing over there has been very good to me.  I have yet to make it to LOZ...but I hear good things so might have to add it to the list.  My fall trips are usually pretty loaded, as we usually come over a long weekend, and with a 12 hour drive on each end, it really cuts into the 'fun' time.  Please stop on by over the fourth!  We will have that site until the 5th, but will be hanging out at dads place until the 9th.  I was actually thinking of hitting Sapps after we were done camping on Pomme.  Neither I nor dad has hit it in the summer..... would it be worth it to check it out or does it die with the heat?

 

Ranger520

     Rest that shoulder and get her healed so you can be hauling in the big ones this late summer and fall.  I plan on trolling as well as hitting standing timber and brush piles for this upcomming trip.  Dad loves those flick a shads and we usually troll four, in a vairity of color and usually two different depths.  Can't say I've ever trolled anything else unless you count a spin n glow with salmon eggs..... LOL.  Wonder if those MO fish would be into that??????    Any suggestions to increase my odds or add more variety to what I'm trolling?  Can't say i've ever done any night fishing....I mean I've fished for red salmon at midnight, but when they are running in the Kenai, the sun doesn't really set so I wouldn't call it night fishing.  I'd be interested to learn though.  Seen some great fishing shows when they were getting slab after slab from a boat, fishing under a lighted dock.  We should defiantly meet up in July..... maybe coffee at the triangle or 254 cafe?

 

 

 

[Ranger520vx]

Sounds good I live right behind 254 cafe .could get together for coffee or a beer later in the day. We have been catching a lot of white bass trolling right outside of Wheatland campground cove we usually just troll with 1/8 oz. white maribou jigs. We usually troll crank baits that will dive to about 15 ft. on flat 1points and follow the break lines staying In about 14-16 fow for walleye. Usually do good on bass that time of year early and late in the day on 10 inch worms.

[Alaskageek]

This all is great!! At the very least I'll have fun playing with some new types of tackle and techniques!  The old man lives right behind 245 as well, down on White lightning rd.... well I guess it's not right behind, but definitely close.  16 days till we are on our way there...... really can't wait. 

[walleyeguy]

Hello;  You should try Crappie.com   Mo. forum  for more info on the crappie and www.catfish1.com    Mo. forum  and the best to you and yours

[Alaskageek]

Thanks for the tip Walleyeguy.  I'm checking them out now